EDITOR – August 22, 2022 was a day that changed my life, ultimately for the best. This was the day I faced the worst trauma. It was the most tiring and painful fight one could ever be in – three hours of being beaten and having to fight back even though I was tired. I was preparing myself to meet God, but He rescued me.
I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, but I want people to know I overcame the traumatic experience, which proves what God can do.
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Not many women survive an ordeal like this. Many do not recover from it, but I have the favour of God. Some days, I find it hard to understand why such a terrible thing happened to me, but I remember that my God is bigger than my pain and that what happened to me was all part of his plan and my testimony.
What happened to me was not okay, but when I look back, I see all the good that came from my situation. The incident brought my family closer together, and broken relationships were mended. It also brought awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) in my community, which is something that is very common.
I am constantly surrounded by love, and I have the most incredible support system. My experience will not define me, and it did not break my character. I only have God to thank for that. He has given me the strength to deal with the pain and the scars; I came out of it as a warrior.
I want to give God the honour and the glory for all he has done, and I thank him for being my comforter by sending the most kind-hearted people into my life. I thank the many people who supported my family and me throughout this journey, as well as those who offered words of love and support on social media. This chapter is closed, but I cannot wait to see the extraordinary plans God has in store for me.
DOMINIQUE VAN DER HAAR
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